[taverner]

Sorry if this has been brought up in the forums, I couldn't find anything. I've been reading these forums for a few years picking up bits of wisdom here and there, but this is the first time I've had an issue worth raising the question.

I am wondering what would be the ideal doublesided tape to hold down thin (1mm, 0.040") wood on a honeycomb laser cutter bed. My only experience is using carpet tape (never could get it off the cut material) and double-sided duct tape, both from the big box store. In that case, I was holding material onto a sheet of drywall, placed on the bed of a Plasmacam that had a rotozip attached. This is quite different, as I need to hold it down flat, not just hold it from moving around on the table from the cutting tool. Also, I'm trying to hold it down to honeycomb as opposed to a solid surface. I don't mind ordering from McM or the likes, but don't want to waste my money by trial and error. The material is approximately 3" in width, and a few feet in length, so 3" wide tape would be all the better.

In general, I hope to resolve whatever I'm doing wrong on the drum sander (I didn't realize the paper was clogging up so badly) bringing this material down to thickness which is causing it to warp. I still don't know how much I'll be able to minimize the warping for such thin material.

[Rodney Gold]

The best solution would be vacuum.

[taverner]

The best solution would be vacuum.

This isn't my machine though, and I'm assuming it wouldn't be simple/cheap to do that.

[bobsch]

Here's a thread on another board discussing the subject Double sided tape? - BT3Central Forums

[taverner]

Here's a thread on another board discussing the subject Double sided tape? - BT3Central Forums

Sounds like most people use the carpet tape, although there were a few other types in there to try.

Maybe I used a bad type of carpet tape? The stuff I used didn't have much of a substrate, it was just adhesive, with a little bit of thread making a criss-cross pattern. I used it to hold down the smooth side of hardboard to another sheet of hardboard for a couple of hours, and I couldn't get it off by scraping, or alcohol or goo-gone.

It sounds like there is a type of carpet tape that has a solid cloth substrate. I'll see what I can find. Thanks.

[Rodney Gold]

The problem is the honeycomb , it has no surface area unless some of the cells top sections are bent. 3M make a smooth carpet tape , not a cloth substrate , its super sticky and peels off without leaving glue residue. It still wont work well , especially if the wood "stress relieves" during cutting.